May 3, 2013

Top rank: College of Business Administration's sales program rates among the best

The sales program at Kansas State University's College of Business Administration has been named one of the top sales programs in the country by the Sales Education Foundation. It's the second consecutive year that the foundation has acknowledged the university's program as among the best.

"We are thrilled to be recognized and be among these notable institutions," said Dawn Deeter, the J.J. Vanier distinguished chair in relational selling, professor of marketing and director of the National Strategic Selling Institute in the College of Business Administration, which sponsors the sales program at the university. "Our students work very hard and are getting the recognition they deserve."

The National Strategic Selling Institute, one of the initiatives in the college, sponsors the university's Sales Team, which prepares students for sales competitions across the country. The institute organizes an annual Sales Week, which features workshops, competitions and networking sessions to develop students' sales skills and expose them to careers in sales. It also sponsors other competitions throughout the year.

The sales program features an advanced curriculum focused on the application of selling skills through role-playing and real sales experience. This semester, for example, students made calls to sell tickets and find items for the National Strategic Selling Institute's Benefit Auction, an event to raise money for the program.

"The quality and preparation of our students is evidenced by their strong performance at national sales competitions," Deeter said. "But our strong relationships with the business community and, in particular, our corporate partners, gives this program its competitive edge."